Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to the field of collapsible pet enclosures or cages. More specifically, the invention is related to the field of pet enclosures suitable for mounting on a wall outside a window or pet door. The invention is also related to the field of pet enclosures suitable for use with a mobile home, recreational vehicle, travel trailer or tent trailer.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are existing examples of pet enclosures adapted for use with a recreational vehicle or travel trailer. The commercially available Pet Patio(trademark) product is a collapsible enclosure mounted on removable legs and secured to the side of a recreational vehicle next to a pet door. This product is stowed for travel by removing the legs, collapsing the structure, and stowing it someplace in the vehicle for travel. It requires the use of some storage space in the vehicle, and is not self-storing.
There are other examples of enclosures, though not necessarily for pets, for recreational vehicles or travel trailers in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,197 by Grable, discloses a retractable porch for a trailer, mobile home, or recreational vehicle. This reference describes one embodiment that has the porch collapsing against the wall of the RV for travel.
There are other examples of collapsible enclosures, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,848 by Rankin, which discloses a folding travel cage in which the sides fold in an accordion-like manner and U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,098 by Askins, which discloses a collapsible cage with a folding mechanism.
There are also examples of pet enclosure positioned so the pet has access to the enclosure at will, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,350 by Vavrek discloses a pet enclosure attached to a dwelling with access through a pet door. The enclosure, however, is not collapsible or suitable for travel.
It can be seen then that there is a need in the prior art for a self-storing pet enclosure providing at will access to the enclosed area.
To minimize the limitations in the prior art, and to minimize other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses a self-storing pet enclosure suitable for mounting outside a pet door or window. In the deployed configuration, it provides at-will access for a pet to the enclosure, which, in one embodiment, is constructed primarily with wire-mesh panels. This gives the pet access to a well-ventilated, essentially outdoor area.
The self-storing feature obviates the need for any additional storage space to keep the enclosure when not in use. The methods of deploying and stowing are simple and do not require any tools or complicated procedures, making the invention easily to use.